8 Ways to Make Your Employees Feel that You Care

Showing your employees that you care is vital in lifting up their morale and keeping their motivation. However showing care to the people inside your workplace is not an easy task. It’s not just all about buying and sending them fruits and flowers when they get sick. It’s not all about having a regular meeting to hear the manager’s words. It’s not all about awarding them rewards and plaques of recognition for being loyal to your organization. Giving care to your workers is something that is more sensible. It should be captured, felt and understood by all your people’s senses. The following are the eight senses that will give you the ways to make your employees feel that you really care for them.

1. Sense of sight

This doesn’t mean you need to always watch over them and put a surveillance camera to see every move they make. This means that you need to check on their condition. This includes simple things, such as checking on their chairs if they are comfortable, checking their computers if they are properly working, and other things that ensure the employees’ welfare. This also includes monitoring on the work, performance and results of your employees to identify the areas that they need help and improvement. Workers need personal and professional development. So if you can see their rooms for improvements, and you will help them improve themselves, your employees will feel that you care for them, especially if they will really see growth within themselves.

2. Sense of smell

This is not a physical smell. There are things that your eyes may not see about your employees. Hence, you should always be aware of those that smell something fishy. Employees often don’t have the guts to tell everything to their bosses, especially those things that seem to create problems and cause their punishments. If you want to show that you care, you should know those things in advance by considering your employees’ limitations and weaknesses. And once you sense their problems, be proactive, show understanding, encourage honesty, and offer help and solution.

3. Sense of taste

Again, this is not all about using your tongue, though it may involve some part. This sense is about experiencing what your employees are experiencing. Want to taste their life? You should be, so that you may understand more their real issues and concerns. You may try going with them during lunch break and have a taste of their favorite dishes. But beyond that, you can create closer relationship if you will also hang on with them as a humble friend, instead of a bossy person. You can also use your mouth to teach them and share important stories of your life so that they may know you better personally. Just avoid bluffing and awfully repeating – keep humble and speaks wisdom.

4. Sense of hearing

Yeah you get it right, listen to what your employees are saying. But it’s not only that, you should also make sure that you are having a listening comprehension. Thus, you should offer silence, stop yourself from talking, lend your ears, and let your employees do the talk. Further, you should remember that in listening, you are gathering important information from your employees. Hence, you should encourage openness. To do that, you should show to them that speaking will provide them a lot of benefits. So avoid humiliating them when they talk – that will surely scare them away from talking again next time.

5. Sense of touch

Hearing must be justified that you have actually heard what your workers have told you. Therefore, ensure that you have carefully listened to them, and you have actually acted on what you have listened. The results of your actions will be justified if you are really listening and caring for them. So if you really want your employees to feel your tender care, don’t just lend your ears to listen and your mouth to speak promises, but also provide them your helping hands. Act and show them good to great results!

6. Sense of thought

You should ensure that all your actions will lead to success. That is why you need to create a plan. But is that good plan of yours includes the future of your employees? If not, then that will surely make your people think that you don’t have care for them. What if you will hide your selfish plan? Well, a plan and its goal have series of steps and procedures to achieve. Those steps that you’ll take will sooner be obvious to your employees. Therefore, you should avoid excluding them from your great plans – they deserve to progress as your business or organization progresses. Be thoughtful and helpful to your employees now and in the future.

7. Sense of feeling

True care is felt, yes it is. It got some deep emotions and connections involved. That is why a manager must have compassion to his team or subordinates. Compassion is more than just experiencing what your employees are experiencing, but it is also about suffering what they suffer. If your employees see and realize that you are happy when they are happy, and you’re sad when their sad, then they will feel that you truly care for them. So be compassionate and love everyone in your workplace.

8. Sense of spirit

Caring is not an easy task; it’s more difficult than you know it. You might think that you actually care for your people, but it might not be what they feel or think from you. Caring people is not merely showing you care for them, but it’s also about ensuring that the care you show to your people is enjoyed by them. Care is not also a thing that should be given one time, but every time. That is why you should practice giving care to your employees everyday. Finally, you should also be patient and persistent in showing your care. Remember that the more intensive care you give, the more it is seen and felt.

Be a sensible manager and leader. To your success and greatness!

Victorino Abrugar is a business consultant, blogger, speaker and entrepreneur. He's the founder of Optixor, Inc., a digital marketing company based in the Philippines. Follow him on Twitter at @viclogic.